Amid the growing threat of the Omicron (B1.1.529) variant, the government is targeting to start vaccinating children age five- to 11-years-old against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in January 2022 while the booster vaccination of economic frontliners (A4) and indigent population (A5) may begin on December 10.
This was revealed by Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., vaccine czar and chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19), on Monday, Nov. 29, as he cited the big bulk of supplies that are currently stored in the government’s stockpile.
Galvez said that he already talked to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Eric Domingo about the inclusion of children age five to 11 in the vaccination program to protect them from the threat of the possibly more contagious Omicron variant.
“Ang planning namin ay first quarter of 2022 so January magstart tayo and we want to finish that by first quarter (In our planning, we can start in the first quarter of 2022 so by January we will begin it and we want to finish that by first quarter),” Galvez said in a television interview on CNN Philippines.
“Gusto natin maprotektahan ang (We want to protect the) children against Omicron. We don’t know yet the vulnerabilities of children,” he added.
The emergency use authorization (EUA) of certain vaccine brands that will be used for this sector may be released before the end of December.
“Baka lumabas na before the end of December. Ang nakaplano sa amin, once lumabas ito ay we will execute it immediately (Maybe it will be out before the end of December. In our plan, once it is released, we will execute it immediately,” he added.
He added that the pediatric vaccination should be finished as soon as possible so that the face-to-face opening of classes can be fully implemented.
Several vaccine manufacturers have already expressed intent to apply for an EUA so that their vaccines can be used for children age five to 11, including Pfizer and Sinovac.
So far, Pfizer and Moderna are the only ones allowed by the government for the vaccination of children age 12 to 17.
Meanwhile, the administration of booster shots to A4 and A5 priority sectors is being planned on December 10.
“Ang aming target is December 10 na ioopen na ang ating A4 at A5 vaccination kasi nakita namin we have more than enough vaccines already (Our target it to open the vaccination on December 10 because we have more than enough vaccines already). We have 61 million already in our warehouses,” Galvez shared.
“We want to make use of these vaccines the soonest possible time kasi (because) we will be receiving more,” he added.
Around 40 million vaccine doses are expected to arrive in the country from December to January 2022, including 21 million doses from the COVAX facility, according to the vaccine czar.
So far, the government has approved the booster vaccination of three priority sectors: frontline healthcare workers (A1), senior citizens (A2), and select individuals with comorbidities (A3).